Home Edition

Jenna Flexner
Mar 1
4 min read

Updated: Mar 19

Cooking in the Flexner Kitchen

(TAMALE MAKING PARTY!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGdpC1CvKOA

This month we are doing something a little bit different and going inside the Flexner kitchen, because as much as we love to discover amazing foods around the city, we also love to come home and try our hand at recreating those delicious finds in our own home.

Our son Luke and his friends took over the kitchen for a full-on tamale-making party, and it was epic. 🌽🔥 We are so proud of Luke for diving headfirst into cooking with zero fear—because wow, we had no idea how complicated tamales really are. We now have a whole new level of respect for the abuelitas selling them from big, steaming metal pots on the corner. The HOURS that must go into those things! Let’s just say… when the masa consistency or temperature isn’t right, you know immediately. There’s no hiding it. 😂 The first tamale Luke unwrapped fell apart instantly, which was all part of the learning curve. But in the end, we mean it when we say that these were the best tamales we've ever had. The masa harina was so rich and flavorful it honestly didn’t even need the filling. That’s when you know you’ve done something right. We made this little video to remember the fun—hope you enjoy it! The recipes we used are below, and since the boys decided the pork with green sauce was sub par, we are only including the recipe for the red, which was delicious.

MASA FOR TAMALES recipe - Just 5 simple ingredients and way better than the pre-made stuff.

https://keviniscooking.com/masa-for-tamales/#wprm-recipe-container-94887

* We didn't use the chile rojo sauce in our masa, we omitted and just used 8 cups of a combination of water and chicken broth.

PORK ROJOS FILLING recipe

https://keviniscooking.com/pork-tamales-rojos/

TASTING in the Kitchen

and

Erik and Jenna’s Entertainment Picks

Every Day a Good Day

Tasty treats inspired by a beautiful movie

(by Erik)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL7SDtcE9pusHmDZhsLoWf64ngKeH6aXck&v=sXNg3bMcztc

I recently watched the Japanese movie Every Day A Good Day, a tender, wistful film about a young girl who takes a tea ceremony class from a deeply committed "Chado Sensei" 茶道先生 (literally translated as "teacher of the way of the tea"). Before the ceremony begins, the guest receives a beautiful "Okashi" or お菓子 which translates to "honorable confectionary child". Usually an artistically designed sweet bean paste filled mochi or cake with intricate designs on top, I believe it is meant to whet the appetite for the Matcha Tea that will be mixed and served during the ceremony.

Here, Lila and Tessa do a taste test of the okashi. WARNING: They are an acquired taste. I have found that most Westerners I've met love mochi but not bean paste. Lila and Tessa got to experience excitedly biting into the chewy, sweet mochi, only to be surprised by the odd texture and taste of the bean paste. Their funny reaction was to simply peel the yummy mochi away from the bean paste. I love that these two are willing to try to just about anything (Lila even ate a fried cockroach in Mexico!).

I found these "Okashi" at 2 beautiful little Japanese confectionary shops close to each other on Western Blvd. in Gardena called Chikara Mochi and Sakuraya. They are right across the street from my favorite Japanese "Izakaya," or pub, Azuma Japanese Restaurant. Why not make an afternoon of it and experience a truly old school Tokyo-style Japanese lunch followed by an Okashi tasting crawl? Let me know if you do!

And now on to the movie. Check out the trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLtHMfyRsao

In the film the sensei is played by one of my favorite Japanese actresses, Kirin Kiki. If you know, you know, she is a one of a kind talent. Her voice, her movements, all so magnetic. She patiently guides the girl through precise lessons until the performance of the ceremony becomes a kind of meditative escape from everyday life for her. I experienced this state of harmony and "nowness" when learning Shorinji Kempo martial arts and Japanese calligraphy during a year in Akita Prefecture, the "Snow Country" of Northern Japan when I was just out of college. I love these kind of "slice of life" movies, where I can trust that there will be no jarring, often violent surprises so often experienced in American films. They are soothing to the soul.

You can rent it to stream on Apple TV. It is subtitled in English, which I know can be daunting to some people because it can feel like work when you just want to relax, but I find that after the first three minutes you don't even know you are reading. :). Enjoy!

We love hearing from past clients, and meeting new ones! We are happy to be a resource for any real estate needs, so don't hesitate to reach out.

Until the next adventure,

- Erik & Jenna

ERIK AND JENNA'S CONTRACTOR LIST

-Would you like a copy of our newly updated recommended contractor list of service providers? (75+ good people) Just CONTACT US for a copy! (snippet below)

-Let us know if you need anything else!